Programs to Help the Mac Lawyer be More Productive

David Swanner of the South Carolina Trial Law Blog had a post today called, Programs to Help Lawyers be More Productive.

First, let me say, I have the utmost respect for David. But, after reading his post, I felt I had to provide my own list. Therefore, this list will contain those programs and some hardware one can use on a Mac computer to be more productive.

● Dictation: Dave suggest Speak-Write to do dictation with. While this looks like a great system and its price is very reasonable. I already have a virtual paralegal that I like to use for such things. For me, I dictate to a digital recorder, download the files to my laptop and no matter where I am, I email them to my VP. Works great. She prepares the documents, emails them back to me, I review, make any changes that might need to be made, and than send them. I can send them either by snail mail, email or fax. And what is great, if I am sending them by email or fax, I don't even have to print them.

● Faxing: I use PageSender as my faxing tool in my practice. With PageSender you can fax or Email anything you can print. What is really great is that I can receive my faxes on my laptop when I am not even in the office. PageSender, if set right, will email me my faxes to my email address. I can than do what I need to with them and email them back to the sender. Or I can wait to fax them when I get back to the office. And, if I don't have my laptop with me, I can get them via email on my Treo 650. Either way, helps me to be more productive and enables me to keep up on what is going on in my practice.

● Timeline Graphing Tool: As Dave suggest, TimeMap is a great timeline graphing tool. When I was using windoze, I used Timemap. But, there is a program for the Mac for doing the same thing. Timeline is the program. Timeline software makes it easy to create beautiful timeline charts suitable for trial exhibits and more. Automatic layout means that you simply enter your events and the timeline software will handle the rest. The charts can be exported as PDF for use in your favorite presentation, page layout, or video editing software.

● Case Management: A program I would not be without is Circus Ponies Notebook. It's a combination outliner and free-form database that lets you clip, annotate, and share unstructured information. Organize your information using a familiar notebook interface complete with pages and tabs. Best of all you can organize a case in a way that makes sense to you. Not the way the software company believes it should be done. You can import photos, images, film clips, and sounds directly into Notebook from ay source. Display embedded media in your Notebook in Media Frames that give you control over the media item. Import any kind of content from the web or from other Mac apps using NoteBook's built-in Clipping Services. Copy text and other content directly into your Notebooks without leaving whatever app you are working in. You can even pre-edit clippings before sending them to your Notebook.

Notebook includes tabs on the right side just like a trial notebook. I set mine up like a bindertech trial notebook. Labeled and color coded just like a hardcopy notebook. However, with Notebook, I can assure you one thing, I can find my information faster than an attorney using a hard copy, like a trial notebook. And I can use my Notebook version to present information and exhibits in court.

Notebook also works with Apple's popular iCal where you can set and manage alarms and to do's for your case.

● Mind Mapping: Dave mentions MindManager 5 which is the windoze version. What most don't realize, there is a Mac version too. MindManager 6 enables you to organize your ideas and information. However, it is very pricey.

I have been looking at and trying NovaMind's mind mapping solution.

The information stored in your mind map is compact and meaningful, allowing you to see the important issues, organize your thoughts, and solve problems quickly and effortlessly. The solutions are new and effective, and can easily be presented to others using graphical or text representations. NovaMind makes Mind Mapping intuitive and fun.

● Trial Presentation Software: TrialSmart is used to create, edit and show video and graphics. It allows you to present synchronized video to a jury using the presentation view. You can also synchronize transcript text to video testimony for later playback. All of its features can be seen HERE.

With DepoSmart, you can analyze, annotate, and print transcripts. Users can also connect to and import realtime transcripts from a court reporter during a deposition. Importing case materials like exhibits, image files, attachments, and synchronized video is easy. You can share transcripts with others by exporting *.dml files for use in our Free Transcript Viewer.

All of DepoSmart's features can be seen HERE.

● Practice Management Software: This is perhaps one of the areas that gets the most comments and questions from attorneys looking at using Macs in their law practice. As Dave states in his POST:

There is no ‘perfect’ system out there. The important thing is to see which ones seem like a decent fit and then outline exactly what you are looking for and compare it to how well those programs provide it. Once you decide on the items that are important to you, put them in categories of how important they are. Have to have, would be nice to have and it’s okay not to have. Then decide how good of a fit each program is for each of the items you have listed.

I use Daylite 3 to help me keep my office organized. What I like best about it is that I can set up a case, they call them projects, and have links to everyone and everything I need for that case in one location. No more hunting for phone numbers, addresses or even client files. It is all linked in one place. Daylite will also do basic document production with its merge feature. I have used it to do some simple task such as envelops and letters. The calendar and contact management is also great. And it sync's to my Treo 650.

While Daylite is not perfect, it does a great job. But, no practice management software package is perfect.

Be watching for something new coming in the very near future. What if you could get a case management/billing/document production tool all wrapped up in one suite?

Why this post? One thing that I get tired of when talking to those who are switching, thinking of switching or just don't know, is when they say there is no software for the Mac. Software that will allow you to be productive as a lawyer. As you can see from the programs mentioned above, there are some great programs available. Check them out, email your questions or comments here so we can continue to visit about this.

Related Links:

Daylite 3 as Case Management

Calendar and Contact Management

Using Daylite as Case Management Software

Using Macs in the Law Office

Why a Mac?

Comments

[Mark Fellman]

The key question for me with regard to Daylite is whether it offers or can link to a robust document management system. Case management tools such as TimeMatters and Amicus have this capability. Although I use TimeMatters, I too would love to switch back to OS X but without some sort of integrated document management system it would be difficult to do so. So does Daylite to document management or is there an add on program that will accomplish that need? Thanks.

[Max]

Great post! I use FreeMind in my practice ( http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page ).

It's java-based, open-source, and in active development. It doesn't have the same bells and whistles of MindMapper, but if you're content with mindmapping, icons, and linking to files, it does the job just fine.

[Grant Griffiths]

Yes on linking all information you need. It works great for that. Daylite will do basic document production. I need to spend some time looking into that feature more.

There is work being done on a new product that will have built into it document production very similar to HotDocs.

[Ted]

I would like to know Daylite's limitations as oftentimes it is not noticeable right away on the trial periods. I am a long time user of Time Matters. Yes, extremely powerful, but frustrating and, alas, it is on Windoze. I so desparetly want to move everything over, but at this point I have held out.

It appears that Daylite will link a document with a "project" along with all supporting information (telephone, email etc.) which is essentially the basics that you need.

My other question is I use HotDocs for automation for large complex docs (i.e. trusts) and have not seen anything like that on the mac yet. Any thougts?